ApSeed, a Salisbury organization, is stepping in to help children impacted by Hurricane Helene, which has left many families homeless in western North Carolina. Responding to urgent needs from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program (NCHEP), and with support from the Alcorn Family Foundation, ApSeed is delivering vital educational resources to the region’s youngest survivors.

ApSeed joined NCHEP leaders on Oct. 29 to load 100 educational touchpads and 280 readiness kits for delivery to homeless preschoolers in several of the hardest hit mountain communities including Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties.

The ApSeed pre-K touchpad is loaded with interactive educational app games that teach letters, numbers, sounds, shapes and colors. This boosts literacy and language skills for preschoolers. Also, these touchpads do not connect to the internet and they don’t have a camera, making them as safe as possible.

The ApSeed readiness kits are backpacks filled with supplies such as scissors, building blocks, books and whiteboards that support critical fine motor skills.

ApSeed’s unique model is ideal for homeless children, since the touchpad doesn’t require WiFi and can be a consistent learning tool that goes with them wherever they move. In the past year alone, ApSeed provided NCHEP with more than 900 of its pre-K touchpads for North Carolina’s homeless preschoolers.

Post-Helene, the need has intensified.

“ApSeed’s commitment to helping homeless children in our state has never been more crucial,” said Lisa Phillips, state coordinator for Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program. “These touchpads and readiness kits will provide not only educational support but also a sense of normalcy and hope during this challenging time.”

Tamika Dawkins, EHCY program specialist for Early Learners, added, “This partnership with ApSeed is a lifeline for our youngest learners. The resources provided will make a real difference in their lives to help them to keep learning even as they navigate this difficult period.”

“ApSeed is proud to play a role in supporting the educational needs of children in western North Carolina,” said ApSeed Founder Greg Alcorn. “We hope other funding partners will join us to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive, despite the devastation.”

The ApSeed team began emergency response the day after Helene tore through the mountains. ApSeed’s own executive director, Dr. Julie Morrow, lives in West Jefferson, in Ashe County, which had severe impact from the storm. When Julie put out the call for supplies for basic needs such as propane tanks, pillows and blankets, ApSeed founders Greg and Missie Alcorn and ApSeed CFO Bryan Overcash dropped everything and were the first to pack up supplies for basic needs and drive to the mountains that day.

ApSeed is now focusing on long-term needs, using its innovative ApSeed Model to prepare more preschoolers for kindergarten including a Pre-K Touchpad, family guide and text to teach.

ApSeed partners with childcare providers, school districts and local or state agencies, to distribute take-home touchpads to any preschool-aged child, but especially to those in federally-sponsored Pre-K, Title 1 and Head Start programs or who are served by the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) supplemental nutrition program.

Since 2016, the organization has delivered more than 30,000 touchpads, free of charge, to children in North and South Carolina, New York City, California, and even as far away as Zimbabwe and Liberia.